Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CONNECTING DEVICE
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
Applicant hereby claims priority based on
Provisional Application No. 60/144,636 filed July 20,
1999, and entitled "BED FRAME" which is incorporated
herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally pertains to
connecting devices for connecting structural members and
particularly to a bed frame construction.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There is a need for a frame design, and in
particular, a design for a connection between the side
rails and cross-bearing members of a frame that is
economical, easy to assemble, and safer than
conventional designs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention meets the above-described
need by providing a connecting device with a structural
member having opposed end walls connected to a side
wall. Each of the end walls has an inner wall extending
therefrom in spaced apart relation to the side wall.
The structural member has a first slot and a second
slot. The first slot extends from the end wall through
the inner wall and the second slot extends through the
opposite inner wall.
A cross-bearing member having a side wall, end
wall, inner wall and top wall disposed on at least one
end engages with the structural member. The end wall
and inner wall connect to the side wall and are spaced
apart from the top wall such that the end wall, inner
wall and side wall are capable of sliding through the
first slot in the structural member and the side wall on
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the opposite end is capable of sliding through the
second slot.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is illustrated in the drawings in
which like reference characters designate the same or
similar parts throughout the figures of which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the connecting
device of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the connecting device
of the present invention;
Fig. 3 is a front elevation view of the cross
member of the present invention;
Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the
inside top of one of the side support members;
Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the
inside bottom of one of the side support members;
Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the top
of one of the cross members;
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the front top of
one of the side support members; and,
Fig. 8 is a perspective rear view of the top of one
of the side support members.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In Fig. 1, a pair of structural members 10, 13 are
connected by a plurality of cross-bearing members 16.
The structural members 10, 13 comprise a left hand
member 10 and a right hand member 13. The members 10,
13 are substantially similar except for their right and
left hand orientation as described herein. The members
10, 13 are defined along a longitudinal axis X and axes
Y, Z as shown in Fig. 4. The members 10, 13 are
preferably constructed from metal (18 gauge steel),
although wood or plastic would also be suitable in some
instances. The members 10, 13 have a substantially
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planar side wall 19 that extends along the entire length
of the member. At the top and bottom of the side wall
19 there are inner walls 22, 25 respectively. The inner
walls 22, 25 are preferably integrally formed by bending
the metal. The top inner wall 22 extends substantially
parallel to the side wall 19. An end wall 28 (shown in
Fig. 4) extends substantially perpendicular to the side
wall 19.
The bottom inner wall 25 extends parallel to side
wall 19, and the bottom end wall 31 (shown in Fig. 5)
extends substantially perpendicular to side wall 19.
The cross-bearing members 16 connect to the side
structural members 10, 13 at opposite ends as detailed
herein. The cross-bearing members 16 have a central
portion 43 disposed between opposite ends 46, 49. The
ends 46, 49 interlock with a plurality of slots 52, 55
(shown in Figs. 4-5) in the side support members 10, 13
as detailed below.
Turning to Figs. 2 and 3, the cross-bearing members
16 are angled at the ends 46, 49 at an angle a of
approximately sixty to eighty degrees with the
horizontal. As a result when the side support members
10, 13 are connected by the cross members 16, they also
take an angle of approximately sixty to eighty degrees
to the horizontal.
In Fig. 4, the structural member 10 is shown in
greater detail. As shown the ends of the side support
member 10 include an end wall 28 perpendicular to the
side wall 19 and an inner wall 22 parallel to the side
wall 19. A slot 52 terminates at one end at the end of
the inner wall 22. The slot 52 extends along the Z-axis
to end wall 28. Then the slot 52 extends along the Y-
axis to a point 53 near the side wall 19 (best shown in
Fig. 8). The slot 52 then extends in a straight line
along the X-axis for approximately one inch. Next, the
slot 52 turns inward and extends along the Y-axis to a
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termination point 54 on the end wall 28. Accordingly,
the slot 52 forms a U-shape inside the end wall 28 and
then extends through the edge of the inner wall 22. The
slot 52 must generally permit the side wall 60 (shown in
Fig. 6) to pass through and must engage with a portion
of the end of the cross-bearing member 16 to hold it in
position. Accordingly, other shapes for slot 52 and end
wall 28 and inner wall 22 capable of accomplishing the
above are also suitable. The slot 52 receives the end
46 (shown in Fig. 6) of the cross-bearing member 16 in
sliding fashion as described hereafter.
Turning to Fig. 5, the inside bottom portion of the
side support member 10 has a corresponding slot 55 that
also receives the end 46 of cross-bearing member 16.
In Fig. 6, the end 46 and central portion 43 of
cross-bearing member 16 is shown in detail. The central
portion 43 of cross-bearing member 16 has a vertical
side wall 60, a top wall 63 disposed perpendicular to
the side wall 60, and a third wall 66 (shown in Fig. 3)
connected to the top wall 63 by a curved section 69.
The third wall 66 extends parallel to but is much
shorter than the vertical side wall 60. The end 46 has
an opening 72 defined by an end wall 75 disposed
perpendicular to the vertical side wall 60. The opening
72 of approximately five-eighths of an inch is
positioned between the end 78 of the top wall 63 and the
end wall 75. The end wall 75 has an inner wall 81
disposed perpendicular to it and disposed in spaced
apart parallel relation to the vertical side wall 60.
The end wall 75 is approximately three-quarters of an
inch wide, and the inner wall 81 is approximately one-
half inch wide. Accordingly, end 46 is capable of
sliding downward through slot 52 from the top of the
side support member 10 to the bottom of side support
member 10 (shown in Figs. 4 and 5).
As shown in Fig. 4, the end wall 28 of the
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structural member 10 has an opening defined by slot 52
that is capable of receiving the side wall 60, the end
wall 75, and the inner wall 81. Turning to Fig. 5, the
bottom of the side support member 10 only has a slot 55
for the side wall 60 to pass through. An opening for
the end wall 75 and the inner wall 81 is not necessary
at the bottom because these walls fit inside the space
between the side wall 19 and the inner wall 25.
Fig. 7 shows slot 52 from the inside of structural
member 10, and Fig. 8 shows slot 52 from the back of
structural member 10.
Structural member 13 is substantially similar to
member 10 and has slot 52 disposed at the top such that
it faces slot 52 on member 10 when the side support
members are disposed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
End 49 is substantially similar to end 46 described
above. Accordingly, ends 46, 49 engage with structural
members 10, 13 in a similar fashion as described above.
The present invention provides a connecting device
that is secure, easy to assembly and disassemble, and of
relatively simple construction. When the connecting
device is used with side rails and cross-bearing members
to form a bed frame, the sixty to eighty degree angle on
the end of the cross-bearing member provides for
clearance around the perimeter of the bed at the floor
level.
The present invention advantageously provides a
connecting device for structural beams that can be used
in many applications besides the bed frame disclosed
herein. The connection device can be used for
connecting floor joists, rafters, bridges, shelving, and
the like.
While the invention has been described in
connection with certain preferred embodiments, it is not
intended to limit the scope of the invention to the
particular forms set forth, but, on the contrary, it is
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intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and
equivalents as may be included within the spirit and
scope of the invention as defined by the appended
claims.
